Counting Stars
by JennyTD512
Summary: While Jack, Will and Sinbad try not to get caught by Norrington and Smith, Anya struggles to adapt in her new-found family, Clopin eagerly promotes his sisters Esmeralda and Angelica's careers, Meg is desperate to have a relationship with her mom, Phoebus struggles to help support his sister Odette and much much more. Non/Disney multicrossover. ***FULL SUMMARY IN PROFILE***
1. Before Sunrise

"Phoebus covered us then?" Jack asked from his perch behind the wheel as his ship approached Fantasia's harbor.

Will nodded.

"As far as I know."

A lingering smile of satisfaction appeared on Jack's face as the ship docked in the early morning hours.

"Alright, then. Unload, gents. And make it quick!" Jack ordered as he and Will disembarked.

They were met at the docks by their business partner Sinbad.

"Any trouble?" Sinbad inquired checking a clipboard.

"Nope. Or have you forgotten? I'm Jack Sparrow," Jack replied, smugly.

Sinbad rolled his eyes.

"Yes. Yes of course. Any trouble following Tulio's route?"

Will shook his head.

"Good."

"When is the next shipment supposed to take place?" Jack inquired as his crew unloaded crates to the dock.

"Sultan says next week. So I hope you won't have any trouble entertaining yourselves until then. Dimitri says he can get you an apartment to hold up in for the time being," Sinbad responded inspecting the crates and checking his clipboard.

Jack smiled.

"Wonderful," Jack responded.

"What will the next shipment be? May I ask?" Will asked.

Sinbad eyed him from his clipboard, curiously.

"That's on a need to know basis."

Will sighed.

"It's not anything living or breathing is it? Because I told you the last time - "

"Hush!" Sinbad instructed. "If you want to get paid you'll follow my rules. But like I told you before, I told Dimitri we are out of the human trafficking business."

Will smiled, satisfied with the answer.

"Take a load off, gents. Enjoy the hospitality of Fantasia. And remember, stay out of Norrington and Smith's way!" Sinbad said.

Will and Jack nodded in response, walking off the docks.

"Now then, what time is it?" Jack asked.

Will looked at his phone.

"Five thirty in the morning."

Jack grimaced.

"Too late for fun. Too early for anything else. What shall we do, mate?"

"I suggest we call up Dimitri and have him open that apartment he's promised."

"Well, you're no fun at all, mate."

Will rolled his eyes.

"Jack, I'm exhausted. We just hauled six dozen crates of Persian coffee for the last six days. I think I deserve a rest."

"Would you not speak so loudly, mate. Don't want Norrington or Smith on our tails do you?"

Will shook his head and sighed. He picked up his phone and called Dimitri.

_Buzz...Buzz...Buzz..._

Dimitri's vibrating phone was a rude awakening. He was sleeping so soundly after a night out on the town. He groggily picked up his phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"Dimitri, sorry to wake you. It's Will Turner."

"Oh, yeah. What's up, man?" Dimitri asked, blinking profusely.

"I'm told that you have an apartment for me and Jack."

Dimitri nodded.

"Yes. You heard correctly."

"Well, we're in need of a bit of rest. Could you open it up for us?"

"Jesus. Do you know what time it is?"

"Yes. Actually that's why I'm calling. We just pulled in."

Dimitri rolled his eyes and grunted.

"Alright. Alright. Give me a few minutes to get myself together. The place is at 614 Walt Street."

"Great. Meet you there."

And with that Dimitri ended the call with a defeated sigh.

"Who was that?" a sleepy female voice asked.

Dimitri turned around, surprised. He had momentarily forgotten about bringing someone home last night. And Esmeralda was not someone he easily forgot. He smiled remembering what they had done just hours ago. He leaned over and placed a luscious kiss on her pouty lips. She giggled.

"I'm sorry to have to leave you like this, Es. You have no idea how sorry," Dimitri said against her lips.

She frowned.

"Why? What's up?" she asked, her green eyes showing worry.

Dimitri liked her caring for him just a bit.

"That was Will Turner. He and Jack Sparrow just got in. They need a place to stay. I told Sinbad I'd have an apartment for them when they got in."

"Jack's back?" Esmeralda shot up, supporting herself on her elbows, a sheet covering her naked body.

"Yep. Does Angelica know?" Dimitri asked with an eyebrow raised, knowing Jack's illicit relationship with Esmeralda's sister.

Esmeralda shook her head and bit her lip, nervously.

"Well, I'm off. But stay here. Get some sleep. I'll be back shortly," Dimitri said, reluctantly getting up out of bed.

He caught a smile on Esmeralda's face.

"Enjoying the view?" Dimitri asked, smugly.

Esmeralda fervently nodded her head and laughed before turning over and slowly falling back to sleep.

But sleep never came for Esmeralda. She couldn't stop thinking about Jack and Will's arrival in town. The last encounter her sister had with Jack didn't end well. Angelica never cried but that time she did. And Esmeralda was so angry for Jack's treatment toward her sister that she marched on to Jack's ship to give him a good talking to. Angelica still had no idea that Esmeralda's scolding turned into a one-night stand of passion. That was before he left on this last trip.

Esmeralda rolled on her back and sighed, wondering if Jack would let it slip to Angelica. She wondered what her sister would say and how she would react if she knew the only man who ever held her heart had also slept with her sister. The guilt was eating Esmeralda up inside. She counted down the minutes until Dimitri returned so she could distract herself from the guilt with him. She turned over on her side trying to forget the memory of Jack Sparrow and the guilt of betraying her sister.

Angelica was also losing sleep. She had been tossing and turning all night. She had left the club early last night after she saw where things were going between her sister and Dimitri. She was still upset about her argument with Jack weeks ago and wasn't in the mood to have fun yet. All night as she lay in bed, she thought about when Jack would be returning and what she would say to him. Before he left he had told her that he wanted to keep things casual because he traveled so much. Her having a Latin temper took that to mean he didn't want to see her anymore. She had been torturing herself for weeks hoping they could resolve any issues and go back to the way things were...however casual they may be.

She sighed. She knew Jack well enough to know that all he was was casual in his relationships. He never settled down. He never stayed with one woman longer than a month...save for Angelica. And she knew his relationships were mostly of the physical nature. She knew that he valued her as a friend more than a lover which is why he kept her around the longest. She had promised herself from the moment she met him that she wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her, but she was certainly failing. She vowed that when he did arrive and when she saw him again, she would tell him that being casual was fine with her. As long as she got to keep seeing him...

She heard a noise coming from the hallway of her apartment. She figured her brother Clopin was just getting in from a night out. She rolled her eyes at her annoying brother as she threw the sheets over her bed and hopped out to inspect the noise. She quietly opened the door to see what was going on. She was surprised to see a female figure tip-toeing down the hallway. Her eyes grew wide recognizing the silhouette.

"Jasmine?" she whispered not realizing at first that she asked it aloud.

Jasmine froze and turned around slowly. Her face blushing.

Angelica exited her room, pulling her robe tightly around her waist to talk to her friend.

"Are you back with my brother, again?" Angelica asked.

Jasmine sighed and rolled her eyes.

Clopin and Jasmine had been in an on and off relationship since she was about sixteen. Clopin was charming and funny but he also played Jasmine like a flute. They were always making up and breaking up for years. But last year Jasmine had ended it for good...or so Angelica thought. Jasmine had been her friend longer than she had been Clopin's sometimes girlfriend. Naturally, she was concerned for her friend's well-being, knowing what a scoundrel her brother could be.

"No. Not exactly. He was at Club Agrabah last night."

"And he sweet-talked you into coming home with him?"

Jasmine frowned, embarrassed.

"Well, kind of. He sorta rescued me."

"Rescued you?"

"Yeah. Flynn was there. He had too much to drink. I think he and Meg had another argument or something. Anyway, he started getting really touchy-feely with me and I told him to stop and he wouldn't. And Clopin threatened him and he backed off."

"You seriously did not fall for that, did you?" Angelica asked already knowing the answer.

Jasmine shrugged.

"I can't help it. Your brother knows exactly what buttons to push."

"And what buttons to rip off."

"Hey!"

"Oh, come on, you know it's true! So what are you going to do about it?"

Jasmine appreciated her friend's concern but Angelica's attitude was pushing it just a little.

"Well, obviously I'm not staying so what does it look like?"

Angelica sensed Jasmine getting defensive and backed off just a little.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just know you and I know Clopin. I don't want you to get hurt again."

Jasmine smiled.

"Thank you. I appreciate it. But I promise. This was just a one time thing. Clopin and I are done. For good."

Jasmine hoped she could keep this promise she'd made to herself several times before.

Angelica smiled.

"Well, get home safe. I'll text you tomorrow, kay?" Angelica said, giving her friend a hug.

Jasmine smiled back.

"Kay. See you later," Jasmine whispered as she quietly exited the apartment.

Angelica made a mental note to throttle her brother later as she went back to her room to get some sleep just as the sun began to rise.

A new day in Fantasia was just beginning. Angelica threw a pillow over her head, trying to ignore it, wondering what the day would bring.

**A/N Hope you like this. It is my first attempt at a long multi-crossover. I wrote this on a wing. And so far I kinda like it. What do you guys think? I want to know your opinions. Should I keep going with it? Do you like the characters I've used so far? And by the way, there will be many many more! PLEASE review! If I get enough follow-up I might just continue this little story! Oh and I used Fantasia as this mythical town's name because Disneyland seemed too generic and less soap-opera-y. I did the soap-opera type storylines so I thought Fantasia seemed like a cool place to live. LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS! XOXO JTD.**


	2. Everything the Light Touches

**A/N So glad there is interest in this story! YAY! And to clear a few things up, more and more characters will be introduced gradually, so don't worry! I'll introduce Anya, Meg, Hercules, and many others in later chapters. Hopefully you'll start to see some connections and familiar names mentioned! And I wrote Elizabeth into this chapter but she probably won't be in later chapters as a primary because I'm not really a big Elizabeth fan. But she'll still be here, nonetheless. Hope you enjoy this one! Cliffhanger at the end! XOXO JTD**

James Norrington sipped his coffee slowly as he waited for his colleagues to arrive. It was just after sunrise and James was the first to arrive for breakfast at their usual table at Tiana's Place. He quietly observed the restaurant as he waited for Smith and Phoebus. He saw Fantasia's scoundrel duo – Aladdin and Flynn groggily eating their morning meal. He noticed a brunette in yellow and a strawberry blonde in blue in deep discussion over notebooks in front of them. Other than that, Tiana's Place was quiet for a Saturday morning. James took another sip and waited.

"Ah, James. Here already?" John Smith asked as he walked through the door.

James nodded.

"Not a morning person, eh?" John asked sitting down across from his friend.

James smiled.

"That depends. Have we word on the smuggled goods from India?"

John shook his head and sighed.

"Unfortunately no. We know they came a few months ago but we're not sure which line it came through or what ship it was loaded on."

James rolled his eyes.

"Obviously it's Sparrow."

"Do you have some proof that I am not aware of?" John questioned reasonably.

He knew of James' endless vendetta against Jack Sparrow. It was a well known fact that the two were sworn enemies. James once had Jack behind bars. He was this close to seeing Jack locked up in a federal prison. But a woman close to Jack delivered proof that deemed him innocent. James hated the man ever since. And Jack continued taunting him.

"Jack Sparrow is the proof!" James shouted causing everyone in the cafe to stare at them.

James noticed his rash utterance and blushed, ashamed.

"Let's just change the subject, eh?" John Smith suggested.

"Good morning, John. Nice to see you this morning," Elizabeth cheerfully greeted.

John smiled back at her, grinning like a school boy.

A man could do worse than Elizabeth Swann. Elizabeth was definitely beautiful. She always had a smile on her face and was eager to please the customers. It was no secret that John had a crush on her.

"Very nice to see you, as well, Elizabeth. Coffee, please? Just sugar," John asked, gazing at her.

James had to stifle an eye roll.

Elizabeth turned red and nodded. John watched her walk away with a beaming smile on his face.

"Could you be any more obvious, man?" James teased.

"What?"

"She's Phoebus' cousin."

"So? He's never forbid me from having a crush on her."

"It's against the code."

"What code?"

"The man code. Relatives of friends are off limits."

"I must have missed that lesson," John muttered as Elizabeth returned with his coffee.

"There you go. Any food yet, boys?" Elizabeth inquired as she pulled out a notepad from her pocket and a pencil from behind her ear.

John and James shook their heads.

"No. No. Not yet. We're still waiting on Phoebus," James replied with a smile.

Elizabeth lingered there for a moment staring at James with piqued interest before responding.

"Oh. Yes. Yes of course. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," she awkwardly said before running off.

John smiled and looked at his naïve colleague.

"What?" James asked.

"Seems as if I'm not the only one who's caught Elizabeth's attention."

"Oh don't be absurd."

John chuckled as Phoebus walked through the door in a huff.

He looked bedraggled as if he hadn't slept the whole night. Breathlessly he took a seat next to John and helped himself to a sip of John's coffee.

"Sure. No problem. I hadn't had a sip myself, but that's okay."

Phoebus grimaced.

"Only sugar? What are you thinking?" Phoebus said disapproving of John's coffee preference.

"And how are we this morning?" James asked.

Phoebus sighed.

"My parents have been gone all week on vacation. I was dog sitting."

"Dog sitting?" John inquired.

Phoebus nodded.

"After Odette and I moved out, my parents decided to run a Dalmatian rescue or as they like to call it...a Dalmatian Plantation."

"So basically James' mother only with dogs instead of cats."

James frowned at John's comment toward his mother.

Phoebus nodded.

"Yeah, one of them just had puppies two months ago and they kept me up half the night, whining and crying and scratching..."

"Like having a newborn, I guess," John commented.

Phoebus shrugged.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Phoebus asked, looking to his commanding officer: James.

James smiled.

"The boat is expected to leave in about an hour. My vet friend has informed me that there is lobster poaching up around the Northern border."

"Taking a break from Sparrow hunting, I take it?" Phoebus teased.

James rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee just as Dimitri and Esmeralda stumbled in. Esmeralda was still wearing her dress from the night before. She had thrown her hair up in a bun. She hoped no one would make any comments or dirty looks, but she knew they would. She and Dimitri found his friends, Aladdin and Flynn in a corner booth.

"Should we just sit with them?"

Esmeralda nodded.

"Hey boys, mind if we join?" Dimitri asked approaching their table.

"No problemo," Flynn replied.

Esmeralda sat next to Aladdin and Dimitri sat next to Flynn. She didn't notice that the table across from them were staring.

"Looks like we have the coastguard watching us again," Aladdin said to Flynn and Dimitri rolling his eyes.

"Jeez, it's like we can't have a simple conversation anymore just because we occasionally hang around with Jack and Will," Flynn responded, slumping down in his seat.

"Speaking of," Aladdin began in hushed tones, "Everything go alright this morning?"

Dimitri nodded.

Esmeralda thought a change of subject might be good.

"So did you guys do anything fun last night?"

Aladdin shook his head.

"My dad's in town for once so we had dinner together. Nothing major. You?"

Esmeralda blushed and looked at Dimitri. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Never mind. I don't want to know," Aladdin said rolling his eyes.

"Flynn?" Esmeralda asked, wanting the attention to deflect of her desperately.

"I went to Club Agrabah with Meg last night before she saw Hercules and starting being a big baby. Thought my night was ruined but then I ran into Jasmine."

Esmeralda gasped, knowing Flynn and Jasmine's history. After months of begging, she gave him a chance until he was too much of a jerk for her and she cut him loose. He hasn't been able to give up on her since.

"Oh no! What did you do?"

Flynn looked hurt.

"Me? I didn't do anything! She's the one who dumped me remember?"

"Yeah and you haven't been able to get over it, remember?"

Dimitri laughed.

"She's right, ya know. You're like a lovesick puppy over her," Dimitri added.

Flynn sighed.

"Doesn't matter she went home with Clopin."

Esmeralda shuttered at Flynn's last statement.

"What?"

"Yep. Guess Princess Jasmine is back in bed with your bro, Es."

"Do you have to be so crude, man?" Aladdin asked, obviously offended.

"You don't know that. Maybe he just walked her to her car or took her home or something," Esmeralda reasoned but deep down she knew the truth.

Flynn rolled his eyes.

"In what universe would that PG scenario happen?"

"Lay off, man," Aladdin warned.

Esmeralda's phone suddenly went off. Tove Lo's "Habits" blaring for the entire cafe to hear, causing a scene. She quickly silenced her phone, muttered a sorry and answered.

"Hello? Phillip! Yeah. Oh! Really? Okay, be right there!" she said before hanging up.

"Trouble in tap class?" Flynn teased.

Esmeralda rolled her eyes.

"No. Phillip just wanted to chance rehearsal times. We have a show next week."

"So you're leaving then?"Dimitri asked, frowning.

Esmeralda nodded and pouted.

They ignored the comments from the peanut gallery that was Flynn and Aladdin.

"Thanks for last night," she whispered, getting up from her table and sending Dimitri a wink.

He laughed, smugly.

"No. No. Thank you, babe," he responded before giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Later, guys!"

Esmeralda left Tiana's Place and headed down the street toward her training studio. She was checking the time on her phone and didn't notice anyone in front of her.

"Careful, luv," a familiar husky voice said just before she bumped right into him.

"Jack," she muttered suddenly aware that Jack and Will stood in front of her.

"Esmeralda, darling. How are you?"

"Esmeralda. Good morning."

She just nodded in response, speechless.

"What's a matter? Didn't expect to see ol' Jack back so soon?"

Esmeralda shook her head.

"No. No. I...Dimitri told me you guys were back. I just didn't expect to see you."

"Ah, Dimitri. I take it you too had a bit of raunchy fun last night?" Jack asked winking and smirking.

Will elbowed him in the stomach.  
>"Ouch!" Jack grimaced.<p>

Esmeralda frowned.

"My personal life is my business."

"Does your sister know of your business, Esme? Or rather _our_ business?"

Will elbowed him again.

"You really ought not be doing that, mate."

Esmeralda refused to dignify his snide remark with a comment.

"Well, I have to be going now. Welcome back, Jack."

Jack frowned as he watched her disappear down the street.

"Alright, what was with all the hitting?" Jack asked as the two continued walking.

Will rolled his eyes.

"How about showing Esmeralda a bit of respect?"

"Why? Do you have a thing for her too, mate?"

Will rolled his eyes as they reached Tiana's Place and opened the door.

"Jack, you know that's not what I meant..." he stopped short as he saw three familiar faces he didn't want to see sitting at the first table.

"Well. Well. Well if it isn't Jack Sparrow and his faithful sidekick, Will Turner," James said, confidently.

Will and Jack froze, feeling utterly trapped.

"Oh, bugger," Jack muttered.

They'd been caught.


	3. Curiosity

**A/N Next chapter is here! Hope you like it! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! And fave and FOLLOW! Love hearing from you guys! XOXO JTD**

"James. How nice to see you this morning," Jack said, using flattery as a distraction.

James only smiled in return.

"How nice indeed, Sparrow. And what illegal activities are we up to this morning?"

Jack grimaced.

"Illegal activities? Who? Me?"

Jack's nonchalant tone sparked James' temper.

"Yes, you! You insolent - "

James was cut off by Dimitri, who couldn't help but overhear. The entire cafe was entranced with the scene between Jack and James.

"Now. Now. Come on, guys. Let's just all take a breath. No need to get in a huff about nothing."

James turned to Dimitri. His face equally as angry toward him.

"And let's not forget you, Dimitri. Fantasia's resident mob consultant. Tell me, has your dear old Uncle Vlad brought in anymore precious cargo for Sparrow to deliver?"

Immediately, Dimitri knew he was referring to the delivery of human goods. Dimitri paled but did not break face. He didn't want to reveal any recognition to Vlad's well-known mob activity. It wasn't a secret to most that Dimitri was a silent but active part in his uncle's organization. But Dimitri was clever. He never revealed too much to anyone and he never left a paper trail which is how he stayed under the radar where the authorities were concerned.

"Excuse me, sir. But I don't believe I know what you're talking about. I'm a realtor."

James huffed, laughing at the notion.

John Smith saw where the altercation was heading and decided to intervene.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, James, but we're running late aren't we? Lobster poachers to catch?" John said putting his hand on James' shoulder, forcefully.

James looked at John and nodded, reluctantly. He couldn't let his immense anger and hatred toward Jack encroach upon his rationality. He needed to keep a cool head and remind himself that Jack would be caught eventually.

"This isn't over, Sparrow," James muttered as he left money on the table for Elizabeth and walked out confidently with John and Phoebus.

Will and Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, that was close," Jack said, grinning.

"If we had just stayed in the apartment and rested up a bit first, this whole mess could have been avoided."

Jack stuck his tongue out at Will. Will rolled his eyes in response.

"Anyway it doesn't matter. Phoebus will keep us out of jail," Jack said. "Good thinking, Dimitri."

Dimitri laughed.

A few months ago he had started doing business with Phoebus' sister, Odette. She was a modeling agent and he would send her Russian imports that his uncle Vlad would bring over. When he got wind that Odette was related to a member of the coastguard, an idea sprouted in his head. He knew Odette struggled to stay afloat with a mound of student loan debt. He also knew that Phoebus often supported his sister so she wouldn't have to go to their parents. It was a fortunate coincidence for Dimitri and Jack and Will.

"I know. Thank God for brotherly love, right?" Dimitri responded, just as Elizabeth came out from the kitchen.

The pleasantly beaming look she had on her face disappeared as she noticed her table of coastguards was empty. Her eyes looked up at the three men standing in the middle of the cafe. She gasped when she noticed Will and Jack had arrived.

Will looked down when he saw Elizabeth. They had been close since they were teenagers and dated occasionally but his work with Jack Sparrow was too much for good-girl Elizabeth and they ceased their relationship. Will awkwardly smiled, greeting her.

"Will. Jack. Can I get you anything?" Elizabeth asked.

"Two coffees, love. And eggs," Jack responded for both of them, knowing how Will felt about her.

Elizabeth nodded and returned to the kitchen.

"You really should get over this awkward tension, mate. It's quite annoying," Jack said, wincing at his friend.

He didn't have time to respond, seeing his friends Aladdin and Flynn.

"Will, good to see you back, man," Flynn said, shaking Will's hand.

"Good to be back. What trouble have you guys been up to lately?" Will teased.

Aladdin, Will and Flynn all grew up together within the foster care system. Will knew the two of them better than anyone. They were always together, pulling pranks and causing mayhem. And Will was always the diplomatic one to get them out of a jam whether it was a crossing guard, a school principal or a foster parent.

"Trouble? I resent that!" Aladdin said, smiling.

"Yes, trouble just happens to follow you around, doesn't it?" Will teased.

"Hey, now that you're back I can tell you. Guess who's back in town?" Aladdin said, changing the subject.

"Anya," Flynn answered.

At the sound of her name Will's heart swelled. Anya was his first love. She, too, was in the foster care system with them growing up. She was the only girl in their little group. Will was more protective of her than Flynn and Aladdin were. Will had realized that he cared for Anya as more than a friend when they were in their early teens. He had never revealed his feelings for fear of ruining their good friendship. He began dating Elizabeth to try and dissuade his romantic feelings but he still had a soft spot for Anya. And then Anya was discovered by a modeling scout and moved away. He never told her how he felt about her. He hadn't seen her in years.

Will blinked, soaking in the information.

"Anya? Where did you hear this from?" Will asked, very curious.

Flynn pointed to Dimitri.

"As you know, Odette and I are very close. Anya just signed with her," Dimitri answered, winking.

Will was elated, to say the least.

"So am I to assume that she'll be staying in town then?" Will asked, very anxious.

"Chill out, mate. Your eyes are going to pop out," Jack teased, furrowing his brow at his friend.

Dimitri nodded in response to Will.

Will's heart skipped a beat. Anya was in Fantasia. At that moment he wondered where she was and if she was thinking of him. His stomach filled with butterflies at the thought of seeing her again. If he'd see her again.

Fortunately for Will, Anya was thinking the same thing.

She woke up wondering if her old friends were around. She wondered if they'd be happy to see her. She hadn't seen them in years. There was so much to tell them now. She sat up in bed and looked around the room. It was a rather large room, decorated ornately in neutral tones. Anya thought it was a bit boring. Totally not her style at all. But beggars can't be choosers and she didn't want to step on any toes just yet. This was her brother's place.

Brother.

Anya had spent her entire life wishing she had a family and somewhere to belong to. About a year ago, an elderly woman and her niece found Anya at a photoshoot and requested to speak to her. They showed her a birth certificate and few photos. The elderly woman revealed herself as Anya's grandmother, Marie, and tearfully explained how her daughter-in-law had hidden Anya away in an orphanage to spite Anya's father. Marie and her niece Sophie went on to tell Anya about her father had just recently passed away and her older brother, Adam, was now the head of the family business – an international corporation. And since then, Anya's world turned upside down.

Marie and Sophie had insisted that Anya be close to her brother. It was a huge coincidence that Adam lived in Fantasia – the place where she grew up. Marie and Sophie introduced them not too long ago and Adam opened up his rather large palatial estate to his long lost little sister. Anya continued perusing the room with here eyes. A picture of Adam and their father was on the nightstand. Anya picked it up to investigate. She and Adam did look remarkably alike. They both had red hair. Although, Adam's was definitely lighter than Anya's. But they did share the same eye color and cheek bones.

"Miss Anya, are you awake?" a voice on the other side of the door asked, knocking lightly.

It was Mrs. Potts, Adam's housekeeper.

"Yes," she replied, pulling on her robe to answer the door.

"Good morning, miss. Master Adam wanted to know if you'd like to join him for breakfast?"

Anya smiled and nodded fervently.

It was weird to her how quickly she and Adam had come together as siblings and how fast she was molded into his life. As she followed Mrs. Potts to the dining room, she was amazed at the size of her brother's home. Sophie had explained to her that it used to be their father's mansion, but he left it to Adam in his will. Anya silently wondered if her father had left her anything or if he died thinking she was dead or something. She shrugged off the thought as she strolled into the dining room. Adam was at the head of the very long dining room table, reading the paper on his iPad and sipping a cup of coffee. She sat down next to him and Mrs. Potts began pouring her a cup.

"Oh. No. Thank you. Just tea for me, please," Anya asked with a smile on her face.

Mrs. Potts nodded and hurried off to the kitchen.

"So, what's for breakfast?" Anya inquired.

Adam took his eyes away from the paper to answer her question. Anya wondered why he was so serious all the time.

"Eggs and potatoes."

"Sounds good."

Adam just nodded in return.

Anya pursed her lips. She and Adam did look alike but their personalities were night and day. Anya was very outgoing and bubbly. She loved talking to people. Adam was very quiet and reserved. He rarely made eye contact with anyone. She wondered if her parents were more like her or like Adam.

"Adam, can I ask you something?"

He nodded and turned his attention back to her.

"I know our dad has passed. But no one ever speaks about our mom. What happened to her?"

Anya heard a loud crash from behind her. She darted her head back and saw Mrs. Potts standing there with shock on her face. She had dropped the tray carrying Anya's tea. She looked as if she'd seen a ghost.

"We don't ever speak of her in this house. Ever," Adam responded, sternly.

"Why?"

"We just don't, alright? Please no more questions about her!" Adam shouted.

Anya jumped in her seat, wondering what it was about her biological mother that had everyone on edge.

"Alright. Alright. Sorry I asked."

As Mrs. Potts busied herself with cleaning up the mess she made, Adam returned to reading his paper. Neither of them acting as if anything had happened. Anya made a mental note to investigate the matter further. She thought about calling up Aladdin and Flynn – her old friends. They were always cleverly finding information about people, places and things. She decided that she would go out today and rediscover her hometown and find out what her old pals were up to these days.


	4. In Deep Sludge

Meg grunted as she laid her head down on the bar at Pridelands. She groaned in frustration as Thomas, the bartender, approached.

"Something for your trouble, Meg?" he teased.

Meg was a regular and one of his friends.

"Hit be big time, baby," she responded, head still down.

He poured her an ice cold class of strawberry ale, her favorite.

She sat up and gulped it, savoring the sweet and satisfying taste.

This was her reward for the longest most annoying day of her life.

She started out the day being hungover and sad which is not a good combination no matter which way you slice it. She had gone out to Club Agrabah last night with Flynn, thinking she would have a good time, but no. She saw her ex boyfriend Hercules with his new someone and it ruined her night completely. She whined a bit to Flynn and then went home to the wine in her fridge. She drank and watched _The Notebook_ on an empty stomach which was also not a good combination.

When she woke up this morning with a terrible headache, she got a call from Angelica saying that they had to shoot a wedding today. The last thing Meg wanted to see let alone take pictures to commemorate was a wedding. Angelica had to shush her every time she made a rude comment about love and marriage. And then one of the flower girls stomped on her foot. She had just freed herself from the festivities when Angelica got tired of her and asked her to leave – that she would finish the shoot herself. It was early evening and Meg was completely done with the whole day – emotionally.

"So what's it this time? A guy? A bitchy girl?" Thomas asked, cleaning a glass.

Meg rolled her eyes.

"Love. Love is for suckers."

Thomas didn't respond. He knew how sarcastic and cynical Meg was. He had no idea why.

"Alright, I'm here. What's wrong?"

Meg turned her head to see that Angelica's sister – Esmeralda, her best friend had arrived and took the seat next to her.

"What's wrong? He's moved on already."

"Who has?"

"Hercules!"

Esmeralda sighed. When Flynn had told her about Meg seeing Hercules last night, she had a feeling that Meg was going to be majorly upset today. And after the novel that Angelica had texted her, Esmeralda knew something was definitely up.

"What happened?"

Meg took another large drink from her glass.

"I was finally ready to go out and mingle. Finally. And when I do I see the one person who made me give up on love in the first place."

"He didn't do that, Meg. You had given up long before him."

Meg shrugged.

"He was the one person I thought would change all that."

"He tried. And you know it, too."

"You're my friend. Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"

Esmeralda sighed.

"Of course I'm on your side, Meg. I just want to remind you that Hercules loved you more than any guy has ever loved you before, but you pushed him away."

"I did not! He just didn't understand that I wasn't ready for the commitment stuff."

A silence ensued. Esmeralda didn't know what to say to comfort her friend. She knew that Meg's fear of commitment was her biggest downfall in relationships. She was always afraid of being let down. Esmeralda wished she could make it disappear but she couldn't. She hated seeing her friend like this. She knew Meg projected a lot of her anger out on others so she wouldn't blame herself. Esmeralda knew that if Meg didn't do it she'd grow to hate herself to the point of destruction.

"Es, what if I can't get over this?" Meg asked, breaking the silence.

"It's all up to you, sweetie. You know that."

Meg nodded, sullenly taking another sip of her beer.

"So how ugly was she?" Esmeralda asked changing the tone of their conversation.

Meg smiled.

"She wasn't bad. Total opposite of me. Actually I think Jasmine knows her."

"Oh really? Who is it?"

"That blonde perfect chick who is in design school with her."

"Aurora? That girl? Oh my god. He can't possibly be going out with her!"

"Why?"

"She is an absolute ditz! Ugh. He must be desperate."

Meg shrugged.

Esmeralda was about to say something else when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see a beautiful red-head in a blue shift dress.

"Hi. I was wondering if you could help me with something?" she asked.

She seemed very friendly.

"I can try. What's up?"

"Well I used to live here. And I had some good friends here, too. I was wondering if they still live around here. You might know them. Aladdin Abu, Flynn Rider and Will Turner?"

Esmeralda was floored. Meg turned her attention to the mystery woman too.

"What do you want with them?" Meg rudely inquired.

"She means, how do you know them?" Esmeralda corrected, giving her friend a look.

"I grew up with them in the system. They were my close friends."

Esmeralda nodded.

"What's your name?"

"Anya."

"Hi, Anya. I'm Esmeralda. This is Meg."

Meg put up a hand as a greeting. Esmeralda rolled her eyes.

"She's not much of a people person today. Anyway, yes we know them."

Anya's eyes lit up.

"Oh really? You do! Oh this is great! Do you know where they live?"

"Well, Flynn lives with me but he's hardly ever home," Meg responded, her eyes in her glass.

"Oh so you two are dating then?"

Meg burst into laughter while Esmeralda just politely grinned, silently praying Meg learned some social skills.

"He wishes. No. He's just a really good friend. Aladdin lives with his dad on the other side of town."

"And Will is staying at an apartment down the street," Esmeralda interjected.

Anya was so excited. She hadn't been expecting to get such an immediate response in her search for her long lost friends. It was great to know that they were still around. And that Will was just down the street!

"Really? Will's that close? Do you know what apartment?"

"615," Esmeralda responded.

Anya was beaming with happiness.

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much! I'm sure I'll be seeing you guys around! I have to go now! Bye!" Anya said, making a bee-line for the door.

"Well wasn't she just a perky glass of water," Meg uttered.

"She seemed nice. Don't write her off just because you're in a bad mood!" Esmeralda responded.

Meg nodded, agreeing with her friend.

"You came up with that address real quick. You stalking Turner?" Meg teased.

Esmeralda blushed. Meg didn't know about her night with Dimitri.

"I was with Dimitri when Will and Jack got in this morning."

"Doing the con man are we?"

Esmeralda swatted Meg's arm.

"What you know it's true!" Meg teased.

"Yeah. We ran into each other here last night after my rehearsals."

"And let me guess? He smoothed talked you onto the dance floor and into his bed?"

Esmeralda blushed again.  
>"Hey, there's no hating here. He's definitely a hot Russian, if you ask me."<p>

Esmeralda laughed.

"That he is. That he is. And when he got back from letting Will and Jack into the apartment, oh my god..." Esmeralda said, stifling a moan.

Meg needed no further explanation.

"Really? That good huh?"

Esmeralda nodded, biting her lip.

"I bet Sparrow gave him a few morning sex pointers, the manwhore," Meg muttered.

Esmeralda frowned at Meg's mention of Jack's sex skills. Meg took notice.

"Es, I was kidding. I'm sure Dimitri is fully capable of coming up with his own moves."

Esmeralda shook her head.

"No it's not that. It's just..." she paused.

No one knew about Esmeralda's tryst with Jack – the one man her sister loved. Maybe it would feel good to get it off her chest. Maybe Meg could lend a hand in the matter.

"What?" Meg asked, curious.

"I...I...I slept with...Jack."

Meg slammed her now empty glass on the bar top. Her eyes grew wide. Her jaw dropped open.

"What? You didn't! When did this happen and why the hell am I just hearing about this now?"

Esmeralda sighed, already feeling ten times better than she did.

"It happened just before he left on his last trip. He and Angelica had had one of the worst fights of the century and she was crying and really really upset. I was so mad that I went to talk to him myself, planning on nailing his gonads to the wall, but..."

"He nailed you to the wall?" Meg finished, using Esmeralda's words against her.

Esmeralda not sure what to say next.

"Oh wow. I can't believe this. Who else knows?"

"No one! And no one else will know! Understand?"

Meg nodded.

"Have you seen him yet? Since he's been back?"

"Yeah. I saw him when I was leaving Tiana's Place this morning. As usual he was his smug irritatingly handsome self."

"Men."

"Yeah. Men," Esmeralda sighed and joined her friend in putting her head on the bar top.

Meg laughed and ordered two more beers for her and her friend.


	5. A Fine Woman

**A/N Onto Chapter Five! I'm really digging this story. It's super fun to write. I'm kinda letting my feelings at the moment guide the storyline so I hope you like it. :). Let me know what you think will happen with the ending of this chapter. Sorry if I made Pocahontas sound like a bitch. I want her character to be a bit of a free spirit in touch with nature and animals more so than humans. :) XOXO JTD.**

Knock. Knock.

The door to her apartment opened. James couldn't help but be a bit nervous. He had been seeing Pocahontas casually for about a month and just knowing he was about to see her still gave him butterflies.

"James!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

"Hello, Poca. May I come in?"

She eagerly nodded and made way from him.

"So did you find the poachers?"

James nodded.

"Indeed we did. No more illegal poaching under my watch," he confidently replied.

She raised her eyebrows and smiled bright. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. James couldn't help but smell her hair as he relished the feel of her in his arms. She smelled of coconut and honey. He would never forget it.

"Wonderful! You are amazing!" she whispered against his skin. He stifled a shiver.

She pulled back and he couldn't help but look at her. Her beautiful copper skin, her full pink lips, her dark brown eyes. He thought how lucky he was to have met her last month at the Fantasia Founders' Day Luncheon.

Pocahontas was a veterinarian in Fantasia and not just that but she was a strong animal activist. She spoke at the luncheon with such passion about her work with animals of all shapes and sizes and the importance of conservation and preservation. He became entranced with her presence and emotion for her cause. He was infatuated with her from the start.

"I just hate poachers! That species of lobster is endangered!" she reiterated.

He nodded.

"It was my pleasure to assist in your cause, however small a part I played."

She smiled, appreciative.

"You know you could have easily just called me on the phone to tell me. You didn't have to come all the way to my apartment."

"I know. I just wanted to see you."

Pocahontas blushed and looked down. She brushed her hair behind her ears, nervously. She honestly didn't know what to say or how to respond to such a high compliment. She was no doubt attracted to James. He was definitely handsome and very sweet. He himself proved that chivalry was indeed alive. She enjoyed spending time with him. But from the look in his eyes and the fact that he informed her personally about the poachers, made her apprehensive.

"Really? Why's that."

"Come on, Pocahontas. We've been seeing each other for a month. You should know by now how I feel about you."

"How you feel about me?"

Her body temperature rose as he stepped forward.

"Yes. You should know that I care about you a great deal."

This was all going too fast for Pocahontas. She was used to a steady pace in relationships. She was more inclined to just go with the flow and not get to involved with feelings too soon. James' revelation was definitely scaring her and she didn't know how to go about telling him.

"Um...thank you, James. That's very sweet of you."

He frowned, sensing hesitancy in her tone.

"Is something wrong?"

Pocahontas shook her head, unsure of how to form the right words.

"No. It's just...I don't know...I didn't know you cared so much for me."

"I take it you don't feel the same way?" James asked, getting defensive.

She shook her head again, trying to avoid eye contact.

"James. I like you a lot. I just think it's moving too fast."

He didn't blink nor did he know how to respond. Her words had shocked him. He thought things were going quite well and that she felt as passionately about him that he did her.

"Telling you I care for you after a month of dating is too fast?"

She nodded.

"Why do we have to label everything? We hang out a lot, that's all."

Her words confused him and hurt him deeply. He furrowed his brow, unsure of himself.

"Hang out. That's all I am to you is a hang out buddy?"

Reluctantly, she nodded.

"I don't want to hurt your feelings but that's just how I feel. Feelings and emotions aren't really my thing. I just like to go with the vibes I get when I'm in the moment."

James shook his head.

"Very well."

"I'm sorry, James."

"Me too," he said as he headed for the door.

When his hand reached the doorknob, he turned to look at her. She looked back at him. He couldn't read her emotions. And with that he left stomping down her hallway.

James was in such a huff that he didn't see who was in front of him. Angelica was walking up the stairs to her apartment, carrying camera cases and her tripod, struggling with the equipment. James bumped into Angelica and continued to be on his way without a care in the world.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" she shouted back, but it didn't do anything. James was already gone.

She sighed and continued the trek to her apartment. She noticed Pocahontas looking out into the hallway from her apartment across the hall. Angelica wondered if her friend was the reason James was in such a rude mood. Pocahontas looked at Angelica and then quickly shut the door. Angelica shrugged and hoped everything was alright before opening the door to her own apartment.

She set the equipment down on the floor and let out a giant breath. It had been such a long day. Photographing a wedding was always tasking but dealing with Meg's mood swings was even worse. Angelica hoped that Esmeralda was softening Meg's attitude before she joined them at Pridelands for a drink.

"Hell, luv."

That familiar raspy voice from behind her made her jump. She wasn't expecting to see him any time soon. She hadn't thought about him since this morning. And that was a record. Slowly she composed herself and turned around giving Jack a look of stoicism.

"Jack."

"Is that all I get? I've been gone a long time, luv."

"Were you? I didn't notice," she said as she walked away from the door.

He shut the door and followed her, taking a seat on the couch.

"Sure, make yourself comfortable."

"Don't mind if I do. So, did you miss me?" Jack asked, smiling, thinking very highly of himself.

Angelica rolled her eyes.

"What do you want, Jack?"

"Still mad at me then?"

Angelica didn't answer. She just stared at him, waiting for him to give her an answer.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Again. What are you doing here, Jack?"

He smiled. He got up from the couch and sauntered to her like a cat. She didn't flinch when he outstretched his arm and gently touched his fingertips to her cheek. His touch making her quiver with desire for him, wishing she did a better job at hiding her emotions.

"Ol' Jack's still got it, eh?" he teased, smiling and leaning his face closer to her so that she could almost feel his breath on her face.

She swatted his hand away in protest. He frowned.

"Get on with it, Jack."

He sighed, giving in.

"Fine. Right to the point, eh?"

She nodded, hating the way he beat around the bush with his inquiries.

"Alright then. So as you know Dimitri has secured us safe passage into Fantasia for the time being. But an altercation with Norrington this morning has be deeply troubled."

"And?"

"And, I am in need of your help."

"How exactly?"

"Your womanly charm."

"Come again?"

Jack chuckled and leaned in.

"Use your powers of persuasion and sexual magnetism to distract Norrington and the others."

"What?" she shouted, enraged.

He only winked in response.

"You want me to whore me out to the coastguard?"

Jack shrugged.

"Of course not, luv. Well, I mean the means are entirely up to you as long as the end is in my favor."

She slapped him clear across the face, her fury rising with every passing second.

"I suppose I deserved that."

"You guessed right. Now get out!"

"Angelica, darling, I'm - "

"No. I'm done with you, Jack Sparrow you conniving, disgusting, dirty, rotten scoundrel of a man!"

Jack's eyes grew wide at her string of epithets. She had called him some names in the past but never so many at once and she was almost never serious.

"Get out of my apartment! And don't come back!" she exclaimed as she pushed him out, slamming the door behind him.

Angelica threw her back up against the door, breathing heavily trying to calm herself down. The nerve of that man. Asking her to tease and toil with the coastguard to distract them from Jack's numerous illegal activities. Did he really think that lowly of her? Did he really think she would jump at the chance to help him even if that meant using her sexuality? Angelica sighed. Why should she expect any better from him? He was never going to think about her feelings. Only his own. And he tried to use her feelings for him against her in the worst possible way.

When a light knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts, she was so mad that he had returned. She thought up a few more insults for him and opened the door in a woosh, anger written all over her face.

"What do you want, bilge rat?" she asked only to be shocked and surprised that it wasn't Jack that was standing at her door, but Aladdin.

"Whoa. Angelica. What did I do?" he asked, concerned.

Angelica bursting into tears, sobbing uncontrollably and spouting incoherent phrases was not the response Aladdin was expecting. She threw herself into his arms, literally crying into his chest. He held her close, whispering that it was going to be okay. He was surprised at Angelica's behavior. Usually it was Esmeralda who was the crier in their family. Still holding Angelica to his chest, Aladdin slowly lead them into the apartment and sat them down on the couch.

Angelica pulled back and he looked at her, concerned.

"What happened? I've never seen you like this?"

Angelica looked back at her long time friend, Aladdin, with tear-stained cheeks and reddened eyes. Any other guy would have immediately pushed away a hysterically crying woman but Aladdin didn't. He comforted her even though he didn't know what happened. Angelica was feeling vulnerable and emotional about everything and she didn't think about her actions.

She leaned forward, wrapped her arms around Aladdin's neck and put her lips to his. To her surprise, he didn't pull back and she just let it happen. She forgot all about Jack and his indecent proposal as she explored Aladdin's lips with her own, reveling in the knowledge that this would hurt Jack deeply. She smiled against Aladdin's lips as his hands tangled themselves in her hair.


	6. It Seems Questionable to Me

Aladdin honestly felt like he was in an alternate world. He had just come over to see Clopin and go out clubbing tonight. He wasn't expecting an overly emotional Angelica in tears. And he definitely wasn't expecting her to kiss him. He would be lying if he said he didn't think Angelica was attractive. She was absolutely beautiful. They had been friends for a long time. Aladdin was good buddies with her brother Clopin. He had never really looked at her in that way before but now that he was kissing her, he was rapidly changing his mind.

Her lips tasted like mangoes. He pulled her closer to him to taste her more. He felt her hands wrap tightly around his neck. In their feverish need to be closer to one another, Angelica somehow ended up on his lap. Aladdin ran his fingers through her long brown hair as he continued assaulting her lips with his. He was surprised when he felt her tingling fingers trail down his chest and pull at the bottom of his shirt, tugging at it, itching to pull it off.

Aladdin momentarily broke the kiss long enough to comply to her request. He got excited when he saw the eager and hungry look in her eye. She pounced on him, kissing him, running her fingers over the taught muscles of his chest. Aladdin's hands wandered to under her white t-shirt. His body temperature rose with the sudden skin on skin contact as he smoothly removed her top. It pleased him when he felt her hands direct him to her bra clasp. He smiled against her lips. He liked her forwardness. He couldn't wait for more.

He felt her hands hovering over his belt buckle. Then he remembered they were in the common area of the apartment.

"Dude, they have beds for this you know."

The voice of Clopin interrupted their actions. Angelica bolted up, hurriedly putting her t-shirt back on and looking at her brother in embarrassment.

"Clopin! I didn't know you were home!"

He smiled.

"I didn't know you were into Aladdin."

Angelica blushed.

"I'm not. I mean...I...it's not what it looks like."

"Yeah, man. It just kinda happened..." Aladdin added looking as embarrassed as Angelica.

Suddenly Aladdin noticed that the hurt and shame had returned in Angelica's eyes. After what had just occurred, he wanted nothing more than to take all her pain away. It was weird to feel that toward a girl a few minutes ago he considered to be only his friend.

"Whatever. Like I care. You ready to go, Al?"

"Uh. Yeah. Let me just find my shirt," Aladdin responded frantically searching.

"It's on the lamp..." Angelica shyly whispered, blushing.

Aladdin nabbed his shirt and quickly threw on his shirt and stood up as if the couch was hot as coal. Angelica frowned, obviously still embarrassed.

"Ready."

"Let's go then. See ya later, sis," Clopin said nonchalantly as he headed toward the door.

Aladdin had a confused look on his face like he wasn't sure how to react or where to go. He followed Clopin, shaking his head back to reality and awkwardly waving and smiling goodbye at Angelica. When they shut the door she took the alone time to fall forward onto a pillow and groan loudly.

What on earth was she thinking? She was angry at Jack yet she still wanted to be with him – but still wasn't sure how to go about telling him. Jack had hurt her pride and her feelings by his suggestion and it made her very upset. Emotions about her tumultuous relationship with the feared smuggler got the best of her. They came bubbling up in angry tears. And Aladdin just happened to be there when it happened. She hoped that this incident wouldn't ruin the friendship they had. She was grateful her brother had walked in when he did. She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the kissing and the touching that went along with it. But her heart belonged to Jack and she couldn't think of giving herself to someone else. She hoped Jack would be at Pridelands tonight. She needed to talk to him with a clear head.

Jack was in an equally tortured mood regarding their relationship. He walked back to his temporary apartment deep in thought about the status of his relationship with Angelica. Her fiery temper was definitely an attractive factor to him but he feared that he had gone too far in provoking it. Of course he didn't want her to give her body to the stupid coastguard. He just wanted her to do a bit of teasing. The last thing he wanted was someone like Norrington getting his hands on his precious Angelica.

He thought about how to mend things with her during his stay when he walked through the door of his building and bumped right into the back of someone.

"Oy!" he shouted, a bit dazed at first.

"Oh. I'm sorry!" a sweet girly voice responded.

Jack looked up to see a bright-eyed redhead standing in front of his apartment door.

"Make it a habit to loiter in the hallway, do we, luv?" he asked, taking a key out of his pocket.

"No. Just getting up the courage to knock, I guess." She sighed. "Wait, you live here?"

"For now, luv. What is your name?"

"I'm Anya."

Jack furrowed his brow, recognizing the name.

"Anya...Anya...where have I heard that before? Oh! Yes. Flynn said something about you being back in town. I remember because Will looked like the biggest whelp I'd ever seen when he heard the news."

Anya blushed at the mention of Will's reaction. She couldn't wait to see him and the guys again.

"Come on in, luv. Will should be up by now. We had a long night, you see."

"What exactly do you do?" Anya asked following Jack inside.

"We are...in...the import export business. We ship the goods, luv."

Technically he was telling the truth. He just left out the smuggling part.

Anya nodded, remembering Will's fondness for ships and the sea.

"Jack! Is that you? Back already? What's wrong, Angelica turn you away again?" Will asked as he appeared from one of the bedrooms, putting a clean shirt on and laughing at Jack's expense.

Anya turned to face him. His smiling face transforming into an open-mouthed shock.

"Anya."

Her name on his lips was like a siren's call. It was soft and sweet and delicate. Anya blushed and smiled in spite of herself.

"Found her on the doorstep, I did. Said she's your friend from way back when. I'm sure you'll have loads to talk about!" Jack announced heading toward the other bedroom. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must ready myself for the festivities tonight!"

Jack disappeared and Will and Anya were left alone.

Will was at a loss for words. He'd dreamed of this day since he could remember but no words were forthcoming. He wanted nothing more than to tell her how happy he was to see her and wrap her up in his embrace and hold her until the end of time. But it had been a lot of years since they'd spoken to one another. And Will was sure Anya still thought of him as a good friend and nothing more. Now that she was back he made a mental note to change that effective immediately.

"Hi, Will."

Her voice was softer than he remembered, more adult like.

"It's so good to have you back, Anya."

"It's good to be back. I've missed you guys."

Will had been hoping she would have left out the 'guys' part of her sentence but he should have been expecting it. His heart broke a little knowing that Anya still thought of him as a friend.

"Flynn and Aladdin will be happy to see you."

She smiled. Her eyes wandering around searching for something to say.

"Please, sit down. We have a lot of catching up to do."

Will motioned for her to sit at the small dining room table that was in the kitchen. He pulled her chair out for her and took a seat across from her, folding his hands on the table, eager to hear her speak.

"What brings you back?" he asked, deeply curious.

Anya looked down at the small wood table and sighed unsure of how to begin.

"Well...it's a long story. But in a nutshell...I found my family."

"What? That's amazing!"

She nodded, nervously. Will was curious as to why she wasn't more elated. Anya had dreamed of finding her family. She hoped and prayed for it every night before lights out. She told Will countless times that she wanted nothing more than a place to belong. He had longed to tell her that she belonged with him but now was not the time nor the place. He listened as she continued.

"Yeah. Yeah. It really is. I have a grandmother named Marie and a cousin – Sophie. And as it turns out I have an older brother."

"Wow. Talk about finding family!"

"I know. And everything seems to be going well since I found out about them."

Will could tell that Anya was troubled about something.  
>"Okay, just because we haven't seen each other in years, doesn't mean I can't still read your face like a book."<p>

Anya smiled and laughed softly.

"Anya, tell me. What's bothering you?"

She took a have sigh.

"Something is just off. They've known about me all this time. And they chose after my biological mother mysteriously vanishes and my father dies to come find me. My grandmother claims that my mother hid me away to spite my father."

"That's pretty messed up."

"I know. And when I asked Adam about it he got angry and told me never to speak of her again."

"Adam?"

"My brother. Adam Beastman."

"Adam Beastman is your brother?"

She nodded as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Are you telling me that you're the biological member of one of the richest families in Fantasia?"

"It's not that big a deal, Will. Family is family."

He frowned.

"I know. I mean. It's just, you dream of finding your family but you never dream of finding a family like the Beastmans."

"What's so special about them?"

"The Beastman name is a very respected and well known name in town. Anya, your father's business is one of the most profitable organizations in town, next to Shipman, Inc. and Sultan's Imports."

Anya sighed, seemingly unimpressed.

"So all they're known for is money and success."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Will asked, puzzled at her disappointment.

"I mean, yeah. But it's not an important part of a family to me. I wanted love and togetherness and warmth. I don't care about money. I have enough of that."

"Oh, yeah. I heard you were a model."

She nodded as if it was nothing special.

Will was amazed at her carefree attitude about her career and her new-found family life. It was a sharp contrast to the Anya he grew up with who wanted nothing more than to explore the world and find her family. He looked at her closely, still mesmerized by her beauty. Her red hair was a little darker than when he last saw her. Her eyes were still big and bright. Her lips were still slight and demure. He remembered his longing want to kiss them. He brought himself back to reality, discarding any romantic feelings for the moment.

He just got her back in her life. He didn't want to ruin it by revealing his romantic feelings for her too soon. He had to build their friendship back up from what it used to be. It would take time but he'd waited this long. He would wait longer if it meant Anya would finally be his.

"I don't know, Will. It's just not what I thought it would be."

He didn't have any time to answer. Jack had reappeared, fresh and clean in different clothes. He sauntered out into the kitchen with a smile on his face.

"Alright, ladies and gents. It's time to hit the town and enjoy all the Fantasia has to offer."

Will rolled his eyes.

Anya looked at Will.

"Seriously? Where'd you meet this guy?"

Jack leaned down. His face was right next to Anya's. Will controlled his need to jump up and throttle him.

"Why don't you come out with us tonight, luv, and find out."

Will cleared his throat, signaling for Jack to back off.

"Anya, would you like to go out with us tonight?" Will asked, more formally and respectfully than his friend.

Anya giggled and fervently nodded his head, wondering what the night ahead would bring.

**A/N The creative juices are flowing for real, guys. Loved getting another fave and follow today. Glad you all are enjoying this story! It's possibly my favorite! What will happen at the bars and clubs tonight, huh? Any guesses? How are you liking the Will/Anya pairing? And what do you think will happen with the Aladdin/Angelica sitch? I want to hear from ya'll! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW AND I'LL UPDATE FASTER! :) xoxo JTD**


	7. Let It Go

Hercules walked into Pridelands after his last weight-training class ready for a night of relaxation and letting loose. He had back to back classes all day at the gym and he was looking forward to tossing a few brews back and just having fun. Last night had been an absolute disaster. He should have known better than to flaunt Aurora in front of Meg like that. But he was still so mad and hurt even after just a few weeks.

He didn't understand Meg. And yet he still loved her more than anything. He knew from the beginning that she had trouble trusting anyone. He soon learned why. Her father had left her and her mother when Meg was very young. And her mother, Cruella DeVille of DeVille Fashions was as emotionally absent as her father was physically. Meg had a guard up all the time and very few people got past it. Somehow he did. And those months with her were the best. But he had shown so much affection and devotion that it scared her. She didn't know what true love felt like and she didn't trust it. She pushed him away.

He wished there was something that could be done. But Meg had to learn to love and be loved. As much as it hurt him, Hercules couldn't waste his time on someone who doesn't want to be loved. He shrugged off his guilt from the night before as he strolled up to the bar to order a drink.

Then he heard that laugh. Her laugh. His heart broke a little bit at Meg's laugh.

He turned to see her at the other end of the bar with Esmeralda, drinking, talking and laughing. He couldn't help but stare at her. She was so beautiful.

"What ya lookin at, Herc?" a deep male voice from behind him asked.

He turned around to see his good friend Gaston. Gaston was the Fantasia Stars' most famous football player. He was their starting quarterback. Hercules was his trainer and friend.

"Oh nothing," Hercules replied looking down at the bar.

Gaston looked in the direction that had Hercules occupied. He rolled his eyes.

"Why can't you just forget about her?"

"You don't just forget about, Meg."

"Fine. Let's go some place else then."

"Why?"

"Because here all you'll do is stare at Meg. But if we go to Club Agrabah or Thomas O'Malley's you'll actually be tolerable to be around."

Hercules laughed in spite of himself.

"Alright, fine."

He and Gaston headed for the door, bumping into a frazzled Angelica. Hercules tensed up. Angelica was Meg's good friend. He felt extremely awkward and wanted nothing more than to just leave but being the gentleman that he was he had to say something to her.

"Hello, Angelica. How are you?"

She looked back at him with deadened brown eyes.

"Fine. Nice to see you, Hercules. If you'd excuse me."

And with that she flew past him heading for her sister and Meg.

Hercuels breathed a sigh of relief that his awkward altercation was over and he could continue his night out with Gaston.

Angelica searched the crowded bar for Esmeralda and Meg. She found them, half-plastered, laughing about something.

"Angelica! Join us!" Meg said raising her empty glass.

"What am I joining?"

"We are bashing the men I our lives," Esmeralda responded.

Angelica smiled, eager to share recent events with her sister and her friend.

"Good. Count me in!"

"Thomas! Another round for us! And make it three this time!" Meg shouted.

"I hate men," Angelica uttered, sulking.

Esmeralda had the distinct feeling it had something to do with Jack Sparrow.

"Oh no. You heard Jack's back right?"

"Not only that but he stopped by."

"For his usual slap and tickle?" Meg crudely asked.

Esmeralda hid her guilt and took a big swig of her drink and silently listened to her sister.

"Oh worse than that. He wanted me to do him a favor."

Meg and Esmeralda looked at each other suspiciously.

"What kind of favor?" Meg asked.

"He wanted me to use my," she used air quotes for emphasis, "'womanly charms' to distract Norrington and Smith while he's in port."

Esmeralda almost choked on her last swig. Meg's jaw dropped.

"Son of a bitch. Please tell me you told him to go to hell?" Meg asked.

"Of course I did! I am no whore."

"Good for you, sis."

Meg was less convinced.

"What aren't you telling us?"

Angelica sighed. She couldn't keep anything from her friends.

"I still love him. And I seriously hate the way things are with him right now."

A shocked pause ensued. Esmeralda kept on drinking to diffuse her growing guilt and let Meg do all the talking.

"Seriously? That slime ball? Ugh. Angelica you deserve so much better."

Meg could see from Angelica's expression that she had hit a nerve.

"He's not a slime ball. He's a good man, whether he admits it or not. At least I know how to love someone."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Now Meg was on the defensive. Esmeralda didn't like where this was going. She and/or Jasmine were always having to play referee when it came to Angelica's and Meg's quick tempers. She sat her glass down calmly on the table prepared to break up a nasty fight.

"Angelica, think long and hard before you respond," Esmeralda cautioned.

"What? Everyone knows Meg has a problem with feelings."

Meg rolled her eyes and took a sip from her drink. She slowly put her glass on the table and looked long and hard at Angelica.

"You don't have a clue what you're talking about."

"Don't I?"

"Ladies. Let's just calm down before things get any further, okay?" Esmeralda suggested praying that the argument would stop right there.

"Hello, all! Miss me?"

Flynn had chosen this moment to interrupt their conversation. Esmeralda was never as grateful for Flynn's presence as she was right now. He always had a knack for changing the subject and diffusing the tension from a situation.

"Not really. I do live with you, you know," Meg responded.

Angelica was silent as she sipped on her drink.

Flynn could tell he walked in on something intense but he decided to blow past it.

"Oh, Flynn, I almost forgot. Some girl was in here looking for you," Esmeralda mentioned.

"You'll have to be more specific. They're all looking for me."

A collective eye-roll from all three ladies ensued.

"This one was a redhead. Her name was Anya," Meg added.

"Anya! She's looking for me?" Flynn asked, excited. He knew Anya was back in town but he had no idea that the now famous international supermodel would come back to town and look for him of all people.

"And Aladdin and Will, too. She asked if we knew all of you."

Flynn frowned.

"Aw. What's a matter, Flynny. Thought she only came around looking for you?"

Flynn stuck his tongue out at Meg's remark and pulled up a chair to sit with his friends.

"So what's on the agenda tonight? Club Agrabah perhaps?" Flynn suggested changing the subject.

"What's wrong with right here at Pridelands?" Angelica asked.

"I second that," Meg added.

"You just don't want to have another run in with Hercules again," Flynn replied receiving a death stare from Meg.

"I am not afraid."

Flynn rolled his eyes.

"Besides. Why do you want to go so bad? Hoping to see Jasmine?" Meg retorted.

Esmeralda and Angelica were thoroughly enjoying Flynn being taken down a peg.

"No. Not entirely. Maybe I just want to dance with my lady friends here," he said gesturing to all three girls.

The response was a collective laugh.

"Good one, Flynny. But we all know the real reason you want to go to Club Agrabah and it has nothing to do with us," Meg responded.

"Everyone knows that's Jasmine's main hang out. Her father does own it after all," Angelica added.

Flynn was speechless. He wished Aladdin or Dimitri were here for back up. He mentally hit himself for arriving alone. He knew he shot himself in the foot there. Three against one.

"Fine. You ladies enjoy your boring night of drinking and talking at Pridelands. I'm going to Club Agrabah to have myself a good time."

He got up and turned around for one more snarky remark.

"Oh and for your information, Jasmine is temporarily taken at the moment, so there!"

He stomped off out of the bar, heading for Club Agrabah.

"Wait. Wait. Don't tell me. Clopin?" Meg asked.

Esmeralda and Angelica each gave a fervent nod.

"I caught her sneaking out of our apartment this morning," Angelica revealed.

"Ugh. When are we girls gonna learn?" Meg asked taking a swig from her drink.

"Maybe we should go to Club Agrabah tonight," Esmeralda suggested.

"Are you kidding? I don't want to repeat what happened last night!"

"Then don't! Besides, if we're there, Jasmine won't be tempted by Clopin so easily and Flynn won't be so grabby with her."

"You do have a point, Es. And Jack will probably be there tonight. I have to talk to him."

Meg felt defeated and outnumbered. She pouted and frowned thinking of a witty reply but none was forthcoming.

"I'm going to take your silence as a surrender?" Esmeralda teased.

Meg sullenly nodded, taking one last giant swig of her beer, preparing herself for running in to Wonderboy.

"Thomas! Our bill please!" Meg shouted.

Esmeralda and Angelica smiled to each other at Meg's admission of defeat.

"Don't forget we have your back!" Angelica reminded her friend, their argument earlier completely forgotten.

Meg smiled and readied herself for a night at Club Agrabah.


	8. A Party in Agrabah Part 1

Jasmine entered the club after a long day of interning at DeVille Fashions. She was grateful to Meg for getting her the gig but working with Cruella was majorly tasking. She was ready to take a load off. She walked up to the bar and ordered a margarita on the rocks. She scanned the club to assess the temperature for tonight. Gaston, the football player, was in the corner with a bimbo blonde cheerleader and Meg's ex, Hercules. Clopin and Aladdin were dancing with some seemingly interested young girls. To her suprise, James Norrington and Phoebus were taking shots at the end of the bar. And Dimitri was schmoozing with a myriad of young ladies. Jasmine rolled her eyes as she received her drink at took a sip. Men these days.

She reverted her attention back to Clopin. He hadn't noticed that she'd arrived, yet. She didn't understand why but it irritated her to know end that he didn't automatically acknowledge her when she walked in. She felt as if he should always be on the look out for her. Because that's how she always was with him. She sighed. When would she stop caring about the big lug? Her thoughts were interrupted by another mistake from her past.

"Hello, Jas!" an overly eager Flynn greeted, with a cheesy grin on his face.

"Don't you have some place else to be?"

"Nope. I'm all yours."

"Great," she sarcastically responded taking a generous sip of her margarita.

"Starting out big tonight, are we?" Flynn asked referring to her margarita.

Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Yeah? What's it to you?"

Flynn frowned.

"Just trying to make conversation."

"Hoping that you'll get me to go out with you again?"

Flynn was flustered for words.

"Exactly. Can't I just have a drink in peace, Flynn?"

"Jasmine, I'm sorry, I just - "

"He bothering you?" a deep familiar voice from behind Flynn asked.

She peeked over Flynn's shoulder to see Sinbad standing behind him.

"Yes," she replied, sighing.

Flynn turned around and immediately put his hands up in defeat.

"No need to tell me twice. I'm gone!"

And with that Flynn sauntered off in search of a new target for his unwanted attention.

Sinbad approached Jasmine, glad to be getting her alone.

"Hi," he started, a little nervous.

Sinbad was never nervous, especially around women. But it wasn't everyday that he got the chance to be with Sultan's daughter. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was.

"Hey, yourself. Thanks for showing up when you did."

He smiled and took the seat next to her.

"Sure thing. He do this a lot?"

Jasmine rolled her eyes.

"Occasionally. He can't seem to get over me, is all."

Sinbad brushed a stray hair from her face. She tingled a bit. Sinbad was definitely handsome. She'd seen him her before but he had never given her the time of day. She wondered what changed his tune.

"I can see how hard that could be."

She laughed.

"Oh really?"

Sinbad nodded inching closer and closer to her face.

Their lips were mere millimeters apart.

"Ah. Sinbad. How nice to see you this evening," a raspy male voice said, interrupting what would have been a pretty magical moment.

Leave it to Jack Sparrow to ruin the fun.

"Sparrow. What can I do for you?" Sinbad asked, irritated.

"Oh nothing. Just wanted to stop by and introduce Jasmine to my new friend. You know the model: Anya?"

Jack gestured behind him to a beautiful redhead standing demurely next to Will. Jasmine gasped.

"No way! Anya! This is a real treat."

Jasmine nearly jumped off the bar stool. As a fashion designer she kept up on all the latest trends in fashion and in modeling. Anya was the hottest ticket in the world right now and wouldn't Cruella DeVille be ecstatic if her junior intern got Anya to model her fashions.

"My name is Jasmine Jafar. I'm a fashion designer with DeVille Fashions. I am a huge fan."

Anya blushed. She was used to the fame by now but she just wanted a nice evening out with some old friends.

"Oh well. Thank you. I appreciate that."

She wished Jack would have just kept his mouth shut.

"I would be honored if you came by to the offices some time next week to give me your opinions. That is if you have the time."

Anya nodded, wanting the conversation to end.

"Of course. I can certainly do that."

"Jack how did you meet her?" Jasmine asked, very curious. She hoped it wasn't anything illegal.

"Anya is actually my friend. She and I grew up together in the system with Aladdin and Flynn."

Jasmine's eyes grew wide.

"Oh! No way!"

"Yeah and we're gonna meet up with them and catch up so if you'd excuse us?" Will politely asked dragging a nervous Anya away while giving Jack an evil look.

"Carry on," Jack said to Jasmine and Sinbad before following Will and Anya.

"This will score big with Cruella," Jasmine said to Sinbad.

He smiled as she sat back down and took another sip from her margarita.

"You'll be the star intern for sure."

Jasmine smiled in response.

"Now where were we?" Sinbad asked lightly touching a hand to Jasmine's cheek and pulling her in for a kiss.

The kiss did not go unnoticed.

"Bugger. Now look what you've done. Ol' Flynn will not be happy about this," Jack said to Will as they found a table in the corner.

Will rolled his eyes.

"Jasmine is a big girl. She can choose for herself who she wants to date."

"Oh was that Flynn's girlfriend or something?" Anya asked Will.

"Ex-girlfriend."

"Although at the mere mention of her name he turns into a complete whelp," Jack added.

"That sounds like Flynn. Is he here?" Anya asked laughing.

Will casually put his arm around her chair. Jack frowned seeing that he was going to become the third wheel on this little outing tonight. That wasn't something he was quite fond of. He decided to ditch the two and head for the dance floor to see if there was a lady in need of attention only Jack Sparrow could give.

He saw Aladdin getting it on with some girl.

"Oy. Aladdin. Will has someone he wants to introduce you to," Jack said as Aladdin nodded and headed toward Will and Anya.

Jack smiled mischievously.

"Hello, luv," he said to Aladdin's dance partner as he picked up where Aladdin left off.

Aladdin found Will sitting at a corner table deep in conversation with someone. He wondered who it could be. Then he immediately recognized that telling red hair.

"Anya!" he shouted, coming up from behind her.

Anya turned around to see Aladdin standing over her. She shot up and gave him a giant bear hug.

"Aladdin! It's so good to see you!"

"It's good to see you! So are you back for a while?" he asked, breaking the hug.

"It seems that way, yeah."

Aladdin took a seat next to her.

"This is great. It's just like old times," Anya said looking from one old friend to the other.

"Yeah. All that's missing is Flynn," Will said.

"Oh he's here somewhere, sulking," Aladdin responded with a laugh.

Anya looked at him with a furrowed brow.

"She's already met Jasmine," Will added.

Aladdin nodded, understanding.

"Oh. So then you know why he's sulking."

Anya chuckled.

"What is it about this Jasmine that's got Flynn so crazy?" Anya asked

"You'll have to ask Flynn that question," Aladdin responded laughing.

Flynn, however, was not laughing at all. After being so rudely thrown aside by Sinbad and Jasmine, he took his beer and sat in the corner by himself. What was wrong with him? Flynn Rider didn't get messed up over a girl. Girls got messed up over him. If Phoebus wasn't in cahoots with Dimitri and Jack, Flynn was sure he'd be on his tail for doing to his sister what Jasmine's doing to him. He sighed and took another swig.

"Already get turned down did we?"

He turned around to see Meg, Esmeralda and Angelica standing behind him with smug looks on their faces.

"Don't start, alright?"

"Fine. We won't tease you. Just tell us what happened?" Esmeralda said as the three of them sat down with Flynn.

"Same old. Same old."

"So my brother ran you off again?" Angelica asked.

Flynn shook his head and laughed.

"No. Actually. Clopin is busy on the dance floor. There was another guy that swept Jasmine off her feet. Sinbad."

"Sinbad?" the three of them asked in unison.

"Wow. I thought Jasmine had higher standards than that," Esmeralda said before Meg laughed and gestured toward Flynn.

He frowned.

"You're too kind, Meg!" Flynn said sarcastically.

She laughed and let her eyes wander around the club.

Her heart almost stopped when she saw Hercules only two tables away with Gaston and some Bimbette. She fought the tears that were developing in her eyes. She turned back to her friends.

"Meg, what's wrong?" Angelica asked, concerned.

"I told you we shouldn't have come here."

"Meg, you can't keep doing this to yourself. Maybe you should just talk to him and get some closure and move on," Esmeralda suggested.

Meg sighed.

"Maybe you're right. No use being petty about this."

Summoning what little courage she had, she marched herself over to where Hercules was.

He was staring off into space, watching those on the dance floor while Gaston sweet-talked the annoying giggly blonde on his lap. Hercules was so lost in thought he didn't see Meg approach his table. He barely heard her ask for him.

"Hercules?"

His name on her lips was like sweet music to his ears. He blinked a few times to make sure it was real and turned to face her. She looked nervous. She was blushing. Her violet eyes were trying to avoid eye-contact but to no avail.

"Can we talk for a minute?" she shyly asked.

Those were words he'd never thought he'd hear from her ever again.

Eagerly he got up from the table and nodded. He took her hand and led her away from the crowd to a hallway near the bathrooms that was quieter. He wanted to be able to have a clear conversation with her.

"Hi," she started, awkwardly.

"Hi, Meg. I'm glad you came up to me," Hercules responded.

"Yeah. I just thought we should maybe just talk like adults and get some closure. No sense in trying to avoid each other at our favorite places."

She smiled trying to mask her obvious discomfort.

He was not expecting those words to come out of her mouth. This was not how he had imagined this conversation going.

"I'm sorry what?" he asked, confused.

"I just don't want it to be weird anymore. I know we've been darting out of restaurants, bars and even grocery stores for the past two weeks to avoid potentially running into each other. I just want us to clear the air so that doesn't happen."

"Right. Closure."

"Are you mad or something?" she asked, worried that she had made a mistake by trying to talk to him.

"No. I just thought you wanted to apologize and get back together or something."

"Apologize? You dumped me!"

Meg's temper was back on the defensive.

"Because you never gave me a chance, Meg. I would have done anything for you. And you would rather walk away than face anything real."

She fought back tears. He had cut her deep and he knew it.

"You don't know anything about me."

"At least we agree on one thing."

A single tear trickled down her face as he abruptly left her standing alone in the dark hallway. She couldn't fight it anymore the tears came flooding out.

"Well, I hate to see a pretty girl cry," a male voice said from behind her.

**A/N I'm really on a roll tonight. So two chapters for all ya'll! This one is a two parter! Hope you guys are enjoying the story. Drama and scandal are coming up so I hope you like it! Tell me what you think about Will/Anya. And what do you think will happen with Meg in the next chapter? Who do you think walked in on her sob fest?! And how about that Sinbad/Jasmine relationship? TELL ME PLEASE! Love to all my loyal readers! Xoxo JTD**


	9. A Party in Agrabah Part 2

**A/N I've decided that this one will actually be a three parter. A Party in Agrabah will conclude the night and tie up some loose ends. Then I'll move on. Lots of stuff in this chapter. Let me know what you think! XOXO JTD**

_Five minutes earlier..._

Angelica watched Meg bravely walk over to Hercules. She knew how tough this was for her friend. Meg hated confrontation. Angelica sighed.

If Meg could do it, she could do it, too.

She scanned the club and found Jack on the dance floor with some twit. Her heart raced as she got up from the table without explanation and headed toward Jack. She took a deep breath and marched right up to him. She daintily tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around a bit surprised to see her of all people standing there. He smiled.

Angelica knew that Jack smiled at all the ladies but he had a special smile for her. It was a more relaxed and comfortable smile than he used with his other girls. That gave Angelica hope.

"We need to talk, Jack."

He nodded.

"'Scuse me, luv. But I have business to attend to," he said to his dance partner, leaving her alone and frowning.

He took Angelica's hand and led her near the hallway to the bathrooms.

"I'm glad you're here, luv."

She believed he was sincere.

She smiled and blushed.

"You are?"

"I wanted to apologize for misleading you earlier. It was not my intention whatsoever to have Norrington get his hands on you."

"Do you mean that, Jack?"

He winked and nodded.

She smiled like a giddy school girl, in spite of herself. She was not doing a good job of keeping her emotions in check.

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Jack. I've missed you."

"I knew it! You can't fool me."

He leaned in for a kiss. She put a finger to his mouth to stop him. He frowned.

"What I do now, Angelica?"

She smiled.

"I just need to know one thing."

He read her mind. He was not about to have another argument about the same things again. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Angelica, I told you before. Casual is all I can offer you right now."

She pursed her lips and clenched her jaw.

"So you're telling me that even though you care for me that you can't be faithful to me, is that it?"

Jack struggled with a response that wouldn't offend her. He did care for her. He really did. But he was gone for weeks at a time. He had needs and so did she...whether she wanted to admit to it or not.

"You are unbelievable!" Angelica shouted before turning around and stomping off to the bar.

He wished Angelica could just let things be the way they've always been. He never let emotions get in the way of his fun. Why couldn't she be like that?

His thoughts were interrupted when Hercules bumped into him, causing him to lurch a little.

"Sorry," Hercules angrily said before stomping off, not bothering to look Jack in the eye.

Jack grimaced. He wondered what had Hercules all in a huff. No doubt it had to do with a girl. Jack sighed knowing that all men's problems stemmed from that which vexes all men...a woman.

Jack was just about to head back on the dance floor and continue his first night out on the town when he heard whimpering coming from the hallway. It sounded like someone was crying. He walked toward the sound and was surprised to see Angelica's irritatingly sarcastic friend Meg with her head up against the wall, sobbing. So he was right. Hercules was in a huff over a girl.

"Well, I hate to see a pretty girl cry," he whispered leaning up against the wall next to her.

She looked over to him, wiping the tears away with her forearm.

"What do you want, Sparrow?"

"Oh nothing. Just wondering why a tough girl like you could be crying her bloody eyes out."

"I don't really think that's any of your business."

Meg tried to make a run for it but Jack blocked her path. He stood over her, so intimidating. The look in his dark eyes gave her chills. She could see why Angelica couldn't shake her feelings for him and how Esmeralda got herself into a one-night stand with him. She kept her composure and stared back at him, not breaking face.

"Ah that may be but I guarantee you, 'ol Jack can assist you in your troubles."

"Wow. Good for you. I'm so impressed. Now if you'd just get out of my way."

"What's your hurry, luv?"

He put his hand on her shoulder. If his stare gave her chills, his touch gave her the shivers. What was it about Jack Sparrow that had girls literally weak at the knees? He was just an ordinary guy. There was nothing overly special about him. Meg's eyes studied him, hard, looking for some reasonable explanation as to why her friends went gaga over him.

"What are you doing, luv? I don't like that look in your eye."

"Just trying to find what Angelica sees in you."

He frowned.

No girl insulted Jack Sparrow like that.

"You wound me, Meg."

"Only my friends call me Meg. And you are not my friend."

"Yet."

She furrowed her brow and pursed her lips.

"You want to know what Angelica and all the other lovelies see in me, eh?"

Meg hadn't noticed that he was cornering her until her back hit the wall. She felt trapped but she couldn't bring herself to move away or try and fight it. He was to intriguing.

"Allow me to demonstrate," he whispered before his lips collided with hers.

She definitely wasn't expecting such a bold move. She put her arms up to protest but he caught her wrists with his hands. He leaned against her, crushing her between him and the wall. His mouth explored hers and she was more than willing to let him. His enchanting demeanor and persuading lips were clouding her otherwise good judgment. Meg was powerless to stop him and at the moment she was content with that.

But in the back of her mind she knew that Angelica would never forgive her for this.

Angelica on the other hand was taking shots and that bar to forget yet another altercation with Jack. After her fourth shot of Patron she was feeling pretty good. She turned around to face the club and assess the temperature. The dance floor was crowded. She spotted Esmeralda, the professional, trying to teach Flynn a few moves. Will was on the dance floor with some redhead whom Angelica assumed was the infamous Anya.

"Having fun, Ang?"

She turned to the direction of the voice and saw Jasmine hanging on Sinbad.

"Yeah. Looks like you're having a blast, Jas."

She winked and laughed with her friend. Sinbad whispered something into Jasmine's ear and she blushed and giggled. Angelica thought she was going to throw up. She turned her attention back to the dance floor only to come face to face with her brother.

Uh oh.

"Jasmine! What are you doing?" Clopin angrily asked pulling at Jasmine's arm.

She pushed him away.

"What I do is none of your business, Clopin!"

Angelica saw where this was going.

"Dude, lay off man!" Sinbad warned.

Sinbad was twice the size of Clopin but that had never stopped him before. Clopin had a temper equal to his sisters'. And he was also very territorial. What was his was his and that was final. To him at least. Jasmine was not having it.

"Jasmine, what about me?"

Before Jasmine could answer, Angelica had to intervene. She had seen this same song and dance before and Clopin somehow always got Jasmine to bow to his wishes.

"No. No. You're not doing this to her again, Clopin! She is not yours anymore! She is allowed to see other men!"

Clopin frowned. But his eyes lit up with anger.

Jasmine gave a grateful smile to her friend and walked away arm and arm with Sinbad, leaving little to the imagination. Angelica saw her brother's intentions. Just before he started to charge after them, she put her hands on his shoulders, pulling him back.

"You don't want to be doing that, brother."

She saw the expression in Clopin's face change. She had calmed him down. She motioned at Aladdin to get him as far away from the bar as possible. She watched Aladdin drag her brother back on to the dance floor and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well done, Miss Angelica. Or is it Mrs. Sparrow now?"

She turned around to see a very drunk James Norrington addressing her.

"It's Miss Teach to you, sir," she replied sternly.

He chuckled and leaned in to her. He reeked of tequila. She covered her nose in disgust.

"You tell your slimy, no-good lover that he has not seen the last of me, understand?"

He was so close to her face she could have sworn he was about to kiss her. He was looking straight into her eyes. His eyes looked weary and deadened. She wondered how long he had been at the bar doing shots.

"Come on, James. Let's get you home. Sorry, Angelica," Phoebus said coming up from behind James and pushing him toward the exit.

Angelica breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was gone.

James' freakish vendetta against Jack scared her. She had a sudden need to be near him. She wanted nothing more than to forget words and emotions and just throw herself into his arms and do whatever comes natural. Her eyes frantically scanned the club, darting from one end to the other looking for Jack. She didn't see him. She figured he must still me sulking in the hallway. She ran through the crowd on a mission.

When she reached the hallway her heart stopped. Jack had some girl pinned up against the wall in a very heated and passionate kiss. He had her leg held up against his hip. Her arms were entangled around his neck. Although, Angelica wasn't heartbroken. She expected this from him. He was a manwhore after all. She should have known he couldn't control himself. It was just not something she ever expected to see with her own eyes. Now that she came face to face with Jack's uncontrollable needs, she admitted to herself for the first time that it would never work out between her and Jack. She turned around and walked back into the club, blankly staring ahead of her.

Aladdin found her alone at a table, still staring at nothing in particular. He wondered if she was okay. It surprised him that he had so much concern for her now. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since their encounter earlier. It was like suddenly he had new feelings for Angelica that he didn't know were possible. He had been looking for her all night to see how she felt about their kiss and the physical activity that almost followed. But he had gotten sidetracked by Anya's return and then Clopin's humiliation with Jasmine that he hadn't had his chance. But now Anya was busy with Will and Flynn. Clopin found himself a few girls to occupy his time on the dance floor. Aladdin finally had time to sit down with Angelica.

"Hey you."

Angelica shook her head back to reality to see Aladdin take a seat next to her.

"Hey. Having fun?"

"Eh. So. So. You?"

"About the same."

Angelica noticed a change in Aladdin's expression. He had sparkle in his eyes. He looked different to her. She wondered if their kiss earlier had anything to do with it.

"So, um, not to make this awkward, but um...about that kiss..."

Angelica sighed and felt butterflies in her stomach. She felt awful for using Aladdin as a proxy for her pent up emotions.

"I'm so sorry about that! I let it get too far and I shouldn't have! I was mad at Jack and...I let my emotions get the best of me..."

She saw his expression change from glowing to disappointing.

"You're sorry it happened?"

Slowly, she nodded, biting her lip nervously.

"I can see you aren't sorry."

He shook his head adamantly.

"No. No. I'm not. That was an amazing kiss. I haven't been able to get it out of my head."

Angelica looked at the sincerity in his eyes.

"Aladdin, do you...do you feel something for me now?"

He blushed, embarrassed. This was not how he had pictured this conversation going.

"Yeah. I guess I do."

She looked at him and thought to herself. Obviously the possibility of mending fences with Jack was not going to happen. And she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy her encounter with Aladdin immensely. He was a sweet guy and unlike Jack he would respect her. She saw a potential there that she hadn't seen before. She made a decision.

Her lips met with his, catching him off guard. She put her hands on his face, pulling him in to her. She almost fell out of her chair, but Aladdin was there to catch her, placing her in his lap.

"Wait, I'm not getting tricked or something, am I?" he whispered breaking the kiss.

Angelica groaned.

"Aladdin just shut up and go with it."

And he did.


	10. A Party in Agrabah Part 3

**A/N Sorry for such the long long wait. Life and writer's block caught up with me! Ahh. And I've been occupied reading some Jack Sparrow fanfiction on here. God. I have pirate problems...;) Anywhoo...**

"This is Phoebus," Pheobus said, answering his phone after having put a very inebriated James into a cab.

"Phoebus. It's Smith."

"What can I do for you?"

"I've just been notified that Mayor Hubert is not running for re-election this term."

Phoebus grew nervous. Sweat began to accumulate on the nape of his neck.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. It seems his nephew Charles Charming is going to run. This could mean an end to this smuggling operation of Sparrow's."

Phoebus could literally hear his heart beating through his chest. New leadership meant new regulations. New regulations meant a fiercer crackdown on border patrol which meant that Jack Sparrow and his gang of miscreants could very well be apprehended...which meant the end of Pheobus and his career as a captain in the coastguard.

"Good to know. See you soon."

And with that he hung up the phone and just stared blankly at the sidewalk in front of Agrabah. He feared that the end was near. He had to warn Sparrow and Sinbad. He knew they were still in the club and he spun around to go back inside.

He came face to face with Sinbad, his arm around Jasmine.

"Oops. Sorry. Um. Sinbad. Do you have a moment?"

Sinbad frowned.

"Now? I'm kind of in the middle of something," he responded gesturing toward a blushing Jasmine.

"It's urgent."

Phoebus was pleading with his eyes.

Sinbad's expression changed. He noticed the dire look in Phoebus' eyes. He worried if Phoebus had been caught or something. He gave a kiss to Jasmine's cheek and asked her to wait for him.

"What's the problem?"

"The mayor is not running for re-election."

"And this is a problem because?"

"His nephew Charles Charming is running."

Sinbad's eyes grew wide. Charles Charming had a reputation that preceded him. He was known to be stern but fair and he had absolutely no tolerance for people who tried to skate under the law. People like Jack and himself.

"I see."

"I think we need to meet with everyone to devise a plan."

Sinbad nodded, thinking.

"I'll get Dimitri to ask Flynn and Aladdin to do a little snooping around. See if we can get any background information on the guy, anything we can use."

"Good idea. In the mean time, lay low. And stay out of Norrington's way. James is exactly the type of guy Charming would love on his side and if that happens, we're all screwed."

"Let's meet tomorrow in one of Eric's warehouses. Eric is a respectable businessman. They won't suspect us to meet there."

Phoebus nodded.

"I'll be there. Text me the details."

And with that Phoebus sauntered down the street, confident that their operation was still a go.

Sinbad stood there a moment longer, thinking, plotting. He didn't hear the footsteps behind him.

"Everything alright?" Jasmine asked. Her voice sounding far off in the distance.

He shook his head back to reality.

"Oh. Yes. Of course. Just some business."

Jasmine furrowed her brow, confused.

"Business with the coastguard?"

Sinbad nodded, curtly.

He liked Jasmine. He knew that her father was a part of the smuggling operation but he wasn't aware of her involvement or knowledge of the situation. He couldn't trust her with vital information. And he certainly couldn't let her be privy to his connection with Phoebus.

"Yeah. Um. How about we find you a cab? Huh?"

Jasmine frowned.

"Excuse me?"

Sinbad looked at her as if he hadn't just jilted her.

"You're not coming with me?"

"Unfortunately no. I have a few things to take care of inside."

Jasmine's anger sky-rocketed. She clenched her jaw and put her fists on her hips.

"And men call us a tease? How rude!"

"I'm sorry, Jasmine. Something just came up."

"Okay, Marcia Brady. Have a good night," she retorted putting her hand out to hail a cab home.

Sinbad hated to leave a gorgeous girl like Jasmine in the dust but his livelihood depended on it. He awkwardly backed his way back into the club hoping she wasn't going to scream at him more.

Jasmine was too mad to scream. The audacity of some men. First Flynn and his overbearing obsession with her. Now Sinbad and his rude flakiness. She stomped her foot as she waited for a cab to pull up. Why should she be surprised? After all she had been through with Clopin...she should know better by now.

Then a black sports car pulled up to the curb almost knocking her off her feet. The driver's side window rolled down to reveal an all-too familiar face.

"Need a ride?" his smooth voice asked.

"Not from you, thank you very much," Jasmine replied rolling her eyes.

She stepped forward to continue trying to hail a cab. But he was too sly. He pulled his car forward.

"What happened to Mr. Muscles?"

If Jasmine wasn't already angry, his annoying attitude would have sent her over the edge, more so than it was right now.

"Not that it's any of your business, Clopin, but he had something come up!"

Clopin laughed.

"Guess he couldn't handle you, Jas."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're too much of a woman for him."

The sultry smooth way he whispered those words to her made her shiver with desire. She wanted so badly to be through with Clopin. She wanted so badly to live a Clopin-free life. They had been up and down for so long it felt like breathing to her by now. She fought the urge to succumb to his wistful charm with every fiber of her being. She averted her gaze and continued trying to hail a cab.

"No response, eh?"

She still didn't reply for fear of what she would do next.

"Jasmine, why don't we just cut this foreplay crap. We both know you're getting in eventually."

After he spoke, she heard the familiar click of the unlock button.

She looked back at the entrance to the club, praying that Sinbad would come rushing out and save her from falling into a familiar trap. But no one exited the club. No one was there to help her fight her internal fight. She bit her lip and quickly made a decision that she would end up regretting for the rest of her life. She didn't feel like being alone tonight. And Clopin was offering. She couldn't say no, no matter how hard she fought it. Even as she stepped into his black sports car, Jasmine took one last look at the entrance in hopes that Sinbad would reappear. But he never did and she drove off with Clopin for the upteenth time.

Jasmine was the last thing on Sinbad's mind anyway. He was on a mission to find Sparrow. He saw Will occupied with that red-headed model and Flynn. To his surprise he saw Angelica in a full lip lock and grope fest with Aladdin. It was unusual for her not to be all over Sparrow. He frantically scanned the club but he didn't see Sparrow anywhere. He wondered if he had already left. He headed for the back hallway by the bathrooms to give him a call.

Just before he dialed the number he was surprised to find Jack...in a heated embrace with...Meg. Jack's hands were all over her. In her hair, on her clothes. Her dress was wrinkled. Her beautiful auburn hair in disarray. He slender leg lifted up to Jack's hip. Her hands entangled in the mess he called hair. He never pegged Meg for one of Sparrow's many conquests. He thought she was better than that. The sight of Sparrow having his liberties with a tough girl like Meg disgusted Sinbad. He kept his disgust in check as he cleared his throat announcing his presence.

Jack pulled away from Meg and blinked to get his bearings. He turned around to see a stoic Sinbad standing by. He stepped away from Meg and ran his hands down his shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles. He wiped his lips with his thumb, all the while trying to catch his breath. He wondered how long he'd been back here with Meg.

"Sinbad, what can I do for you?" Jack asked, arms folded, as if he hadn't been doing something indecent.

Meg was humiliated. This night wasn't turning out at all like she'd planned. First she was taken aback by Hercules' anger and resentment. Then she somehow fell under the spell of Jack Sparrow's touch and couldn't find the strength to break free. Not only that but she was caught. By an old crush no less. She tried to compose herself and straighten her dress. She cowered further into the darkness of the hallway to hide her flushed-red cheeks. She never felt more embarrassed in her entire life.

"Sorry to interrupt," Sinbad began giving Meg a sidewards glance, "but I've just been made aware of some vital information regarding...our...business arrangement."

Jack's brows furrowed.

"We've decided to call an emergency meeting tomorrow," Sinbad announced.

"And what will this meeting be about?" Jack inquired.

Sinbad looked at Meg warily, not wanting to reveal too much. Not just for his safety but for hers too.

"It seems that we will be under new leadership at the end of the term."

Sinbad noticed Jack's eyes go wide as he began to comprehend his insinuation.

"I see."

"For now you need to return to your lodgings and stay there until I send for you. Will too."

"Now, wait a minute, I'm Jack Sparrow. I don't take orders from anyone."

"If you want to stay alive, you best heed my warning, Sparrow."

Jack frowned, knowing that Sinbad spoke the truth.

"Alright. Where will we convene?"

"Eric's warehouse. I'll text you the information tomorrow."

Jack nodded.

"Until then."

He turned his attention back to a half-hidden Meg.

"Sorry, luv. But it would never have worked out between us."

And with that Jack was gone and Meg was left alone with Sinbad.

He didn't really know what to say to her. He felt bad, knowing how embarrassed she must be. He crept closer as she flinched.

"I'm not going to pounce on you like Sparrow, Meg."

She smiled in spite of herself.

She had known Sinbad for a while. He hung around with Flynn – her roommate and best friend – for years. He wasn't like most of the guys in her life where she felt like she had to be all flirty and cute to impress them. She kept at her sarcastic demeanor when she was around him – always. It wasn't until he had started going out with a grad student named Belle that she realized she had real feelings for him. That was two years ago. Belle was a beauty unlike any other. Belle had the brains to go along with her looks too. Meg felt like an insignificant spec around her and even more so when she was around the two of them together. Meg thought Sinbad would never notice her as anything other than Flynn's roommate. That's when she met Hercules and the rest is history.

"I know. I just wished you hadn't seen that," she replied, barely making eye contact.

Sinbad smiled.

"It definitely took me off guard. Never thought I'd see a girl like you in the clutches of a guy like Sparrow."

"A girl like me?"

He nodded. She thought she saw a bit of a spark in his eye.

"You're too strong to fall for that charmer."

"You think so?"

Meg was honestly surprised at his admission. She never thought of herself as a strong person. She thought of herself as a loner who built walls up to protect herself, but never strong.

Sinbad simply nodded in reply.

"Well, rest assured that is NOT happening again. I didn't even want it to happen in the first place."

Sinbad chuckled.

"Jack does have that way, doesn't he?"

Meg nodded, genuinely smiling for the first time that night.

The look in Sinbad's eyes dramatically changed. It was like he was looking at her in a new light with fresh eyes. She had never seen him look at her so intently before.

"Meg..." he stammered.

"Yes?"

"Um...I...do you..."

"Are you always this articulate?" she teased.

Her stomach did flip flops when she saw the slight shade of red on his cheeks. She made him blush.

"Can I walk you home?"

Meg thought she would never hear those words from Sinbad's lips. She smiled.

"Absolutely."

As Meg walked out with Sinbad that night, she thanked the gods that she went to Club Agrabah tonight. What had been a supremely awful heartbroken evening turned out to be an even greater unexpected night out on the town. Meg was finally starting to feel good about life after having been so depressed as of late. She hoped it would last.

**A/N EEEKKK! So many couple switcharoos! It's insane! I hope you like it though! Had a lot of trouble coming up with a plotline. Oh and to address a comment from a guest: I will most likely not have Mulan as a character. I don't haven anything against her. It's just I'm not as familiar with her movie. I haven't seen it in so long and it's not one of my top faves. But I do hope you keep reading! I'd also like to thank Demi Brackensick for her continued support and reviews! They keep me motivated! **

**READ REVIEW FAVE AND FOLLOW! I'll try to update more. Until then...xoxo JTD.**


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